To throw away or get rid of something as useless or unwanted. To abandon or reject something previously held or used.
From Old French 'descarter', from 'des-' (away) + 'carte' (card). Originally a card-playing term meaning to throw away unwanted cards, later extended to general rejection or disposal.
The word comes from card games where players literally discarded unwanted cards from their hands. This gaming origin explains why we still use 'discard pile' in many card games and why the word implies deliberate rejection rather than accidental loss.
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